STATISTICAL AND OTHER INFORMATION. 877 



Oysters are imported into Marennes, for fattening and 

 rearing, from all parts of France, and the number in 1880- 

 81, including Portuguese oysters, amounted to 130,000,000. 

 In 1882, Marennes sent out 151,000,000 oysters, represent- 

 ing a value of 5,900,000 francs. 



From the Pall Mall Gazette (August, 1889) I cull the 

 following statistics relative to Arcachon, 34 miles from 

 Bordeaux : 



" The annual exportation of oysters from Arcachon is 

 now greater than that from any other place in France. 

 Last year over 203 millions were exported, of a total value 

 of ^"178, 887. The oyster beds, as mostly established at 

 Arcachon, are enclosures shut in by low boards erected on 

 the seaweed-covered sandbanks of the bay ; they are about 

 two to three acres in extent, and in them are placed a 

 certain number of tiles (often as many as 10,000), previ- 

 'ously dipped in a solution of lime. The infant oysters 

 collect upon and grow up on these tiles, the number on 

 one tile being on an average 250, but sometimes reaching 

 1000. Only about 30 per cent, of the annual number of 

 oysters cultivated are, as a rule, brought to market for 

 exportation, for nearly 70 per cent, perish from manifold 

 causes, viz., frost and other sudden changes of temperature, 

 bad weather, destruction by predatory fish, as well as from 

 diseases of infancy. Of the oysters exported from Arca- 

 chon last year, about 80,000,000 were exported to the 

 United Kingdom, 100,000,000 to various parts of France, 

 and about 23,000,000 for breeding purposes to the oyster 

 farms of Marennes, Tremblade, and Sables d'Olonne. 

 Arcachon oysters comprise many different kinds of French 

 oysters, in addition to Portuguese. The latter are con- 

 sidered the commonest, coarsest kind, while those of 

 4 Marennes ' are the best. None of the oysters cultivated 



